Great Britain / England

If you live in the United States, you've been affected by British culture. The English language most of us speak is only one example of the many ways American culture has grown out of British culture—the original 13 Colonies were largely settled by English immigrants, and they left their mark on the conventions, social structure, and ideals of the New World. Even something as "American" as apple pie has its roots in Olde England, where it has been made and eaten since the Middle Ages.

It's not just white Americans who owe so much to the British. Because the English largely determined the culture of the country in its early stages, all subsequent citizens have consequently inherited a shared heritage. There is certainly more diversity in the 21st century than there was 100 or even 50 years ago, and American culture is in a constant state of flux due to its ever-changing demographic, but it remains true that we've all beenAnglicizedto some degree or other.

This has led many to become Anglophiles. It would be a lie to say there are none at Exodus Books (though not all the employees share the same enthusiasm), and this has to some extent determined the nature of our selection, particularly in history and literature. Anglophiles are simply those with an excessive interest in all things English, or those whose view of history sees the West as represented by Great Britain as the starting and focal point for all study of history. The latter view is obviously flawed, but the former usually manifests itself in mostly harmless ways.

Like U.S. history, British history isn't entirely of a piece. The British Isles include five distinct regions (England, Scotland and Wales on the Eastern island; Ireland and Northern Ireland on the Western), and each has its own history, people groups, and languages. In recent years these areas have become slightly more united in theory, though high levels of regional pride still exist. Also like Americans, the British people are a mix of indigenous races and foreigners, many of them invaders in the ancient and early Medieval periods.

England in particular has always enjoyed a prominent role in world culture and affairs. Though their range of influence has lessened in the last few decades, the hand of the English can still be seen in the remnants of Empire: in India, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and all the other Commonwealth nations around the world. Historical epochs like the Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment have always found a strong foothold in the Isles, and the British have frequently been at the forefront of social and humanitarian reform, particularly in the case of slavery.

At the same time, the British have always been distinct in their own identity and culture, recognizable the world over for their careful scholarship, incredible works of art, awesome sense of humor, and stiff-upper-lippedness. Despite having been attacked and settled by Romans, Germans, Vikings, and Franks, the Isles' Celtic heritage remains (though to be fair, the Celts were also interlopers). British history is both essential for understanding our own (U.S.) history, and for the shape of the whole modern world. It's also fascinating to study in its own right, not least for its frequently bizarre moments.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.

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77 Items found Print
Active Filters: 6th grade (Ages 11-12), In-Stock Books & Materials
A Christmas Carol Audio Drama - 2 CD set
by Charles Dickens
from Focus on the Family
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Adam of the Road
Puffin Newbery Library
by Elizabeth Gray
from Puffin Books
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
1943 Newbery Medal winner
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Adventures of King Arthur - Coloring Book
by Arkady Roytman
from Dover Publications
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Andie's Moon
Historical House: 1969
by Linda Newbery
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Carrie's War
by Nina Bawden
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Cecily's Portrait
Historical House: 1895
by Adele Geras
from Educational Development Corporation
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Children of the New Forest
by Frederick Marryat
from Yesterday's Classics
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Children of the New Forest
by Frederick Marryat
from Living Book Press
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Crispin: The End of Time
by Avi
from Hyperion/Madison Press
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$7.99
English Weapons & Warfare 449-1660
from Barnes & Noble
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Florence Nightingale
by Laura E. Richards
from Yesterday's Classics
Biography for 6th-9th grade
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Great Empires - CD-ROM
from Home School in the Woods
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$12.00
Growth of the British Empire
Story of the World Series #5
by M. B. Synge
from Yesterday's Classics
British History Reference for 4th-8th grade
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Growth of the British Empire
Story of the World Series #5
by M. B. Synge
from Living Book Press
British History Reference for 4th-8th grade
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Guide to Great Britain
by Brian Williams
from Highlights for Children
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Gytha's Message
Emma Leslie Church History Series
by Emma Leslie
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Hedge School
by Gloria Whelan
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Henry VIII
by Richard Brassey
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Houses of Parliament
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Humble Leader
by Julia Cameron
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In the Days of Alfred the Great
by Eva March Tappan
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In the Days of Alfred the Great
by Eva March Tappan
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In the Days of Queen Elizabeth
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In the Days of Queen Victoria
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In the Days of Queen Victoria
by Eva March Tappan
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In the Days of Queen Victoria
by Eva March Tappan
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In the Days of William the Conqueror
by Eva March Tappan
from Yesterday's Classics
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In the Days of William the Conqueror
by Eva March Tappan
from Living Book Press
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Ireland
from Crescent Books
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Island of the Mighty
by Padraic Colum
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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Kings and Queens of England - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by John Green
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$3.99
Let's Explore the British Isles
by Caroline Walker, with maps & illustrations by Gloris Smith Young
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Michael Faraday
by Charles Ludwig
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Murder for Her Majesty
by Beth Hilgartner
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Mystery of the Jeweled Moth
by Katherine Woodfine
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Mystery of the Painted Dragon
by Katherine Woodfine
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Norman Grubb
by Janet & Geoff Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-8th grade
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Otters
by Bobby Tulloch
from Colin Baxter Photography Ltd.
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Our Empire Story
by H. E. Marshall
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Our Empire Story - Black & White Edition
by H. E. Marshall
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Our Island Story
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Our Island Story
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Place to Hang the Moon
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Player King
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Polly's March
Historical House: 1914
by Linda Newbery
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Queen Elizabeth I: Forging an Empire
by Elizabeth Linington, illustrated by Robert Boehmer
from Kingston House
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Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal
Bethlehem Books Living History Library
by Robert T. Reilly
from Bethlehem Books
Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade
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Robin Hood
by Jane Carruth, Illustrated by Chris Higham
from Award Publications, Limited
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Roman Britain
by Jane Chisholm, Ruth Brocklehurst
from Usborne
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$5.40 (1 in stock)
Roman Britain
from Pitkin
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Royal Faces
by Hugh Clayton
from Thames and Hudson
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Saxons and the Normans
by Ladybird Books
from Ladybird Books Ltd
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude
by Louise Borden
1st edition from Margaret K. McElderry Books
for 4th-8th grade
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$10.00 (1 in stock)
Sir Francis Drake
Library of Explorers and Exploration
by Joy Paige
1st edition from Rosen Central
for 4th-6th grade
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Smugglers
by Iain Lawrence
from Yearling
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Stonehenge and Neighbouring Monuments
by R.J.C. Atkinson
2nd edition from English Heritage
for 4th-8th grade
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$1.50 (1 in stock)
Stories of the Covenanters in Scotland for Young People
by Robert Pollok
from Sprinkle Publications
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Stronger than the Sword
by Faith Cook
from EP Books
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Swallows' Flight
by Hilary McKay
from Margaret K. McElderry Books
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$17.99
Time Sight
by Lynne Jonell
from Henry Holt and Company
Time Travel Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
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To Be a Pilgrim
by Joyce Reason
1980th edition from Christian Literature Crusade
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Tom Brown's School Days
by Thomas Hughes
from New York Publishing Company
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Tudors & Stuarts
by Fiona Patchett
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$4.50 (1 in stock)
Victoria and Her Court
by Virginia Schomp
from Marshall Cavendish Education
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Victorians
by Jayne Woodhouse, VIV Wilson
from BBC Books
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$6.50 (1 in stock)
Warrior Scarlet
by Rosemary Sutcliff
from Sunburst Book
Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade
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$7.50 (1 in stock)
Warriors Through the Ages - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Bruce LaFontaine
from Dover Publications
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$4.99
Well Done, Denehurst!
by Gwendoline Courtney
from Girls Gone By Publishers
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$24.00 (1 in stock)
Who Was Henry VIII?
Who Was?...Series
by Ellen Labrecque, illustrated by Jake Murray
from Grosset & Dunlap
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Who Were the Beatles?
Who Was?...Series
by Geoff Edgers
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William Booth
Christian Heroes: Then & Now
by Geoff & Janet Benge
from YWAM Publishing
Biography for 4th-7th grade
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$11.99
Writing on the Hearth
by Cynthia Harnett
from Lerner Publishing Group
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$9.00 (1 in stock)
You Are There! London 1666
by Dona Herweck Rice
from Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
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$3.50 (1 in stock)
Young Bess
by Margaret Irwin
from Harcourt, Brace & Company
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$4.00 (2 in stock)
Young Shakespeare
by Tony Bonning, illustrated by Gillian Alexander
from Waverly Books
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$3.50 (1 in stock)